Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz 2005

Best Red Wine $15-$25 - The Age Uncorked Wine Guide 
Top Ten Australian Shiraz - Cuisine Magazine 
Blue-Gold Award Winner - 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition

Thorn-Clarke is one of the largest family-owned estate-based businesses in the Barossa, with a family history in the region dating back to the 1850s. The first vintage of Shotfire Shiraz produced was the 1999 and on the back of rave reviews from Robert Parker, the world's most influential wine critic at the time, it quickly established a reputation as one of the best value full-bodied wines on the market. Made for lovers of rich, voluptuous, flavoursome reds!

"This glass-staining fruit bomb couldn't help to impress Barossa fans, especially if it's served with a sticky braised meat dish. It shows excellent, ripe varietal definition, spot-on balance, and the oak is subtle seasoning rather than the main course."  Cuisine Magazine

"Outstanding parcels of 100% Barossa Valley fruit are selected from our Kabininge vineyard on the Valley floor in Southern Barossa. The wine receives special oak maturation treatment in our Barossa cellars. The result is a rich and voluptuous Barossa Shiraz."  Sam Clarke

Expert reviews

"The large Thorn-Clarke Barossa Valley vineyard provides grapes for other producers but their own wines are impressive. This is dense and chocolatey with concentrated blackberry and spice characters. It has good body and supple texture finishing balanced and firm. A steal. Food: Beef Chasseur. Ageing: Drink now to 2013."  Ralph Kyte-Powell and Sally Gudgeon, The Age Uncorked Wine Guide -  Best Red Wine $15-$25  ★★★★★

"This glass-staining fruit bomb couldn't help to impress Barossa fans, especially if it's served with a sticky braised meat dish. It shows excellent, ripe varietal definition, spot-on balance, and the oak is subtle seasoning rather than the main course."  Cuisine Magazine - Top Ten Australian Shiraz (2nd place out of 129 Australian shiraz tasted)

"A great drop. An excellent ripe cherry/chocolate style, very typical of the regional. Lovely big, ripe, spicy aromas and long, lingering, mouthfilling flavours. Very classy."  Winestate  ★★★★★

"A full-bodied wine, with layers of black fruits; tannins and oak in appropriate support. Gold medal at the National Wine Show '06. Drink Now-2025."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 94 points

"The 2005 Shiraz Shotfire Ridge beefs up the oak and fruit intensity in a full-bodied, chocolaty, rich, ball buster styled Barossa Shiraz that coats the palate, stains the teeth, and provides an intense mouthful of wine. It should drink well for 10-12 years. It is remarkable value. Drink 2006-2018."  Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate - 92 points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar – 92 points (no review available)

A Blue-Gold Award Winner at the 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition. To quote some of the judges:

"Almost Heathcote in style. Big primary fruit. Rich, bright, yummy Shiraz. Coolish climate but ripe. Well made. Had that roasted, red pepper character and ripe raspberries I associate with that area, verging on the chocolate. Sweet fruit but not dead fruit, and I think that's the real challenge here. Lovely oak. Beautiful French oak which sits very comfortably with this rather big wine. A real challenge, but it sat beautifully with the food."  Steve Flamsteed, 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition

"Very savoury and fruity Shiraz brimming with crunchy black fruit and spice. The oak stood out when had with food. A very macho wine. Will overpower most food. Best enjoyed by itself."  Tony Allen, 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition

Awards

Best Red Wine $15-$25 - The Age Uncorked Wine Guide 
Top Ten Australian Shiraz - Cuisine Magazine 
Blue-Gold Award Winner - 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition
Gold Medal - 2006 National Wine Show
Gold Medal - 2006 Canberra Wine Show
Gold Medal - New Zealand International Wine Show

The vineyards

Kabininge Vineyard, Barossa Valley

Located in Southern Barossa just south of the town of Tanunda, the 33ha Kabininge vineyard is true Barossa Valley floor terroir. At just 270 metres above sea level and located on dark grey to dark brown carbonaceous soils (known as Bay of Biscay), red winegrapes ripen easily here.

The vineyard is predominantly Shiraz – the variety for which the Barossa Valley is best known – supported by smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

St Kitts Vineyard, Barossa Valley

The St Kitts Vineyard is located on the Northern Barossa Slopes at an elevation of 390 metres above sea level. The 103ha vineyard is cooler and has lower rainfall than the Kabininge Vineyard.

The micro-climate restricts yields and the thin, moderately well developed residual soils overlying marble, schist, Truro Volcanics and Heatherdale Shale, necessitated a careful vineyard layout matching variety to soil type. These tough conditions make vines work hard and as a result, the flavour profile is intense and acid levels high, providing the resources for long-living red wines and full flavoured whites. Shiraz is particularly well suited to this environment.

Shiraz again is the predominant variety supported by a diverse red planting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Graciano and a white planting of Viognier.

Mount Crawford Vineyard, Eden Valley 

The 37ha Mount Crawford vineyard lies at the southern end of the Eden Valley. At an elevation of 475 metres above sea level, it is one of the coolest vineyard sites in South Australia. Its north facing aspect provides much needed warmth in spring and autumn and the tough mountain soil makes the vines work hard to achieve excellent flavour and acid.

The high elevation, high rainfall and subsequent late ripening are ideal for growing grape varieties which respond to cold climates. The vineyard is planted to Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Merlot. 

Milton Park Vineyard, Eden Valley 

The Milton Park vineyard is located further north in the Eden Valley, between Angaston and Keyneton. The 100ha vineyard lies at an elevation of between 330 and 400 metres above sea level. 

Positioned amongst world-renowned cool climate Shiraz producers, this vineyard is ideal for producing outstanding red varietals. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were sited to maximize fruit exposure to autumn sunshine, while Petit Verdot blocks were chosen for their lower levels of direct sunlight. 

About the winery

 Mount Crawford Vineyard, Eden Valley

Thorn-Clarke is one of the largest family-owned estate-based businesses in the Barossa. With a family history in the Barossa region dating back to the 1850s and estate grown vineyards now totalling over 270 hectares, Thorn-Clarke produces a range of award winning Barossa Valley red and Eden Valley white wines.

In the late 1980s, governments were sponsoring growers to pull vines to overcome an oversupply in the industry. Against the trend, David Clarke, a geologist by training, set about testing soils and buying land with the intention of establishing his own vineyards in the Barossa. In 1987, David and Cheryl Clarke (née Thorne) bought their first property, Kabininge, near Tanunda on the Southern Barossa Valley floor. They planted vines and Cheryl enlisted the help of her family, the Thorns, to manage the vineyard. The vines started to bear fruit - very good fruit, in fact.

Developing a great understanding of the diversity of the Barossa, David purchased land in two sections of the Eden Valley and another in the Barossa Valley: the Mt Crawford Vineyard at the southern end of the Eden Valley, the Milton Park vineyard further north in the Eden Valley and the St Kitts vineyard at the northern end of the Barossa Ranges. In all 4 vineyards, careful soil mapping allowed matching of variety and site, with all the major grape varieties represented.

For the first ten years, the fruit from the vineyards was sold to neighbouring winemakers who turned it into award-winning wines. This was pleasing but hardly fulfilling. The leap of faith was taken with the 1998 vintage when small batches of Shiraz were vinified and bottled - and so began the Thorn-Clarke story. 

"When we started out 20 years ago I knew from my geological research that the varied Barossa geology and soil types offered us a broad palate to work with. Then when we started making trial blends in the 1990s it became clear that the vineyards complemented each other brilliantly and provided us with a new level of flavour complexity. We have blended to take advantage of these sub-regional and microclimatic characteristics.

Our philosophy is to over-deliver in terms of the quality we offer at each price level.  Wine lovers remember wines which are stunning value and we work hard to ensure that whether people buy the Sandpiper range or the Shotfire range they are drinking wines that are excellent value for money."  David Clarke